With just five game weeks of the season to go, the Fantasy Premier League season is firmly at its business end as four English teams have European semi-finals either side of this game week, making selection of the big boys that bit tougher.
The top four picture gets clearer by the week and with only one relegation spot left to fill, the flurry of players with the pressure off their shoulders is the final boost needed for FPL managers who have a chance of nicking a decent spot. Football Castle brings the best Game Week 34 assets ahead of the deadline at 18:30 BST on Friday 30 April.
Goalkeepers
Illan Meslier(£4.7m) is a simple inclusion as Leeds have dramatically solidified their backline to concede only seven times in the last nine games. Despite facing Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, and Man United in that period, Marcelo Bielsa’s men face favourable fixtures till the end of the season and Meslier can be a trusted mainstay.
Manchester City look odds on for a clean sheet against Crystal Palace, who are bottom for expected goals (xG) over the season so far (26.49); hence Ederson(£6.1m) must be in goal having registered the most clean sheets(17) this season.
Defenders
Stuart Dallas(£5.3m) is the highest-scoring defender in the game with 148 points. The Northern Irishman has scored the most goals for a defender and currently plays in midfield where he still has to play Brighton, Spurs, Burnley, Southampton, and West Brom.
Matt Lowton(£4.4m) is a mainstay in a Burnley defence which has just welcomed back Nick Pope, Lowton assisted against Wolves in GW 33 and kept a clean sheet. Although the Clarets are less of a defensive side these days, they are still to play Fulham and Sheffield United, and Lowton could be a cheap differential for attacking and defensive points.
Midfielders
Jesse Lingard(£6.7m) faces Burnley in Gameweek 34 in a great fixture for West Ham. Burnley are more adventurous as earlier stated and would open up spaces behind for Lingard to operate.
If you don’t already own the red-hot midfielder, West Ham end the season with a series of lovely fixtures versus Burnley, Everton, Brighton, West Brom, and Southampton.
Matheus Pereira(£5.5m) and West Brom are heading for relegation but performances have been better in recent weeks. Fueled on by the freedom from knowing their fate, the unprolific Baggies have scored ten goals in their last four games.
The Brazilian is the highest-scoring player in FPL since Gameweek 19 with 98 points and the goal against Aston Villa made it four from his last four outings.
Forwards
Mason Greenwood(£7.1m) came off the bench to put the seal on Man United’s 6-2 rout of Roma in the Europa League semi-final first leg. The teenager now has five goals and an assist in six games in all competitions and is set for a big role against Liverpool.
Chris Wood(£6.3m) is ending the season in a purple patch with nine attacking returns in his last six matches. Wood is the form FPL asset right now after a stunning hat-trick and assist against Wolves.
Kelechi Iheanacho(£6.2m) now has nine goals in his last seven games and has accumulated the most points (68) over this period. ‘Senior Man Kelz’ is FPL gold at the moment.
Third-placed Leicester face another favourable fixture in Gameweek 34 with Southampton who have conceded the most goals in the last six games (14) and lost four of them. Additionally, Iheanacho was the match-winner in the FA Cup semi-final when these sides met a fortnight ago.
Harry Kane(£11.8m) now has a mind-boggling 21 goals and 13 assists this season, the fifth time he has hit more than 20 Premier League goals. With the golden boot race well and truly on with Mohamed Salah, the Tottenham marksman is a must-have in your team until the end of the season.
The league’s best striker comes up against the worst defence in GW 34 and it is set to rain points when they host Sheffield. Pertinently, he should also notch against Leeds, Wolves, and Aston Villa before his mandatory goal-fest versus Leicester on the final day.
